Lee Terry: “I have the honor of extending a warm welcome to Father Val J. Peter, our guest chaplain in the House of Representatives…”

“I have the honor of extending a warm welcome to Father Val J. Peter, our guest chaplain in the House of Representatives today. And I also want to thank him for his heartfelt moving prayer. Father Val is a native Nebraskan and has been the fourth executive director for Girls and Boys Town USA, with 20 years of service to Girls and Boys Town. Father Peter is renowned as one of the principal supporters of youth in the world. Father Peter once said, ``We are like strong swimmers. When a child is floundering, we have a moral obligation to plunge in and help the child out of harm's way. Girls and Boys Town is not only to save children from harm but to make them whole again so they can become a strong, positive force that will touch other lives.'' As the Bible's Book of Psalms, chapter 127, verses 3 through 5 says: ``Behold, children are a blessing from the Lord. Like the arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.'' Father Val is undoubtedly one of the happiest and most devoted men I have ever had the privilege to meet. Father Val Peter began his service to Girls and Boys Town in 1985. Twenty years later, as he now nears his retirement, the following words he wrote about Girls and Boys Town's ongoing work have never rung truer: ``In the midst of apathy, we bring enthusiasm. In the midst of despair, we bring hope. In the midst of burdensome bureaucracies, we bring an entrepreneurial spirit.…”